In a time where social-emotional learning (SEL) and best-practice initiatives can be found plastered over any and all education-related resources, how can one ensure that school librarians are living up to those expectations? School librarians are tasked with helping students to build a positive relationship with their library spaces and see the value of consistent interactions with the central informational hub in their school. What does SEL have to do with that relationship? More than one might think. Students are drawn to spaces in their school that make them feel safe, accepted, and cared for. The school library should be a place in which SEL occurs naturally (Sansbury and Bongiorno 2020). The words, phrases, and policies used with students in elementary library spaces could have long-lasting impacts on their willingness to interact with the school library and see it as a space designed just for them. Words and tone of voice are incredibly powerful. How they are used with small children can be the difference between uplifting or ostracizing them. Inclusive, human-first language and circulation policies allows the prioritization of social and emotional development in children.